


Loose Threads

by Revasnaslan



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Fluff, Hair Braiding, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-05
Updated: 2018-04-05
Packaged: 2019-04-08 11:29:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14104413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Revasnaslan/pseuds/Revasnaslan
Summary: Getting his hair braided often helps.





	Loose Threads

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rumpledvelvet](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rumpledvelvet/gifts).



> This is a (late) birthday gift for Sol!! <3 <3 I hope you like it!! :3

When Lotor awoke, he was gasping for breath. It felt like the sheets—normally soft and comforting—were constricting around him, threatening to suffocate him where he lay. Hastily, he kicked them off, letting the cool air of the room come over him. Only then did he begin to calm down. It was only a marginal change at best, but Lotor took a couple of deep, steadying breaths, trying to calm his heart. He could still hear the blood roaring in his ears, but he managed to bite back his choked sob.

His only solace was the fact he hadn’t awoken Shiro in his panic. The sound of soft, steady breathing beside him caused his ears to twitch, and he lifted his head, glancing over to where Shiro lay, still sound asleep. His chest rose and fell slowly, and he looked peaceful. That was good—Shiro deserved his sleep, and Lotor didn’t want to bother him if it wasn’t needed. Nightmares were something Lotor had been dealing with for… well, _centuries_ , at this point.

It wasn’t all that different now, but…

With a sigh, Lotor flopped down again and nudged his way under Shiro’s arm, seeking some form of contact, and a shaky breath left him as Shiro pulled him closer. Lotor didn’t know why Shiro seemed to be able to help just by being there, but he didn’t particularly care that much right now. Not when he was still shaking and desperately wanted nothing more than to sleep. Then, Shiro mumbled something—Lotor swore he caught his name—blinking blearily as he woke and glanced at Lotor.

“Did I wake you?” Lotor asked, ears pinning back in embarrassment. He tried to keep the shake from his voice—failing utterly, but Shiro would have started asking questions either way.

“Only a little…” Shiro said, tightening his arm around Lotor’s shoulders. For a long moment, he said nothing, staring at Lotor and lightly running his thumb against the bare skin of Lotor’s arm. After a couple of ticks, Lotor’s gaze dropped, and he busied himself fiddling with a stray thread that had come loose from the sheets.

“Have you been crying?”

The question surprised Lotor, but he didn’t look up. He hadn’t realized that he had been… although, now that he was actually paying attention to it, he could feel the dry streaks on his cheeks. He had been so caught up in making sure he was staying quiet, controlling his own breathing, so as not to disturb Shiro’s sleep, and—he cut off the thought and sighed before relenting. He nodded, but continued avoiding Shiro’s gaze.

“Lotor—”

Shiro’s voice sounded like it was miles away. Still there, but difficult to focus on. Lotor continued picking at the loose thread.

“Lotor, hey—” A hand lightly held the bottom of Lotor’s chin, forcing his gaze upwards to meet Shiro’s. “Look at me… please?” And the worry that was evident in Shiro’s voice caused Lotor to steel himself and hold Shiro’s gaze. “Do you want to talk about it?” Shiro offered.

Lotor opened his mouth, prepared to offer some kind of retort—that he was _fine_ , he would be _fine_ —but his voice died in his throat. Instead, he settled for shaking his head, dropping his gaze again. He wasn’t often asked to talk about his problems, and he wasn’t sure he’d be able to properly articulate his feelings. Not right now, at least.

“Perhaps later,” Lotor said.

“How about I braid your hair instead?” Shiro suggested.

Lotor thought for a moment—he had found lately that Shiro helping him with his hair was extremely comforting. He had sought Shiro out more than once when he was overwhelmed, for the express purpose of having Shiro play with his hair. For some reason, it was extremely comforting to him when nothing else seemed to be able to calm him… Lotor greatly enjoyed it, and spending the time with Shiro. So, he nodded, and sat up with his back to Shiro. He felt the mattress shift as Shiro sat behind him. Slowly, Shiro began working his fingers through Lotor’s hair, getting any lingering knots free…

… and probably marveling at the softness of it, as Lotor knew Shiro was prone to doing.

A low, scratchy purr rose in the back of Lotor’s throat as he leaned into the touch—but almost immediately as he had begun, he cut his purr off, feeling his cheeks heat. Shiro had heard him purr plenty of times before, but it was still difficult for Lotor to get past his ingrained belief that his purr was annoying to list to. It was guttural, skipped in places…

“Why’d you stop purring?” Shiro asked, as he began kneading his fingers into Lotor’s scalp.

“Sorry…” Lotor mumbled, sounding more like a child than he had in years. Silence lingered between them, broken only by Lotor’s soft purring, as Shiro began carefully braiding Lotor’s hair. As time went on, Lotor melted completely, and his purr deepened in his chest as he felt his eyelids begin to droop. He wasn’t sure when he finally fell asleep, only that he managed to sleep through the night this time.

**Author's Note:**

> tumblr: [revasnaslan](http://revasnaslan.tumblr.com/)


End file.
